For reasons that make you feel better
Something special is happening in Akrich, a typical rural Moroccan village set against a breathtaking view of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains. What we have here is a compelling showcase of interreligious harmony, which has been reinvigorated in recent years but whose origins date back centuries.
Morocco’s Abandoned Cemetery is a unique interfaith project that began in 2012 when Morocco’s Jewish community allowed 36-year-old Abderrahim Badda to use the land next to the Akulli cemetery to grow crops while restoring the site, opening hearts and minds between Jews and Muslims. The once-abandoned 700-year-old Jewish cemetery is now home to a local Muslim-run plant nursery that has provided the community with 46,000 fruit and nut tree seedlings, as well as other benefits for the village, including solar panels, a well, and a women’s textile cooperative. Thanks to the nonprofit organization High Atlas Foundation, this idea is spreading, with many old Jewish burial grounds being rented out for free to establish organic fruit and medicinal plant nurseries to benefit Muslim villagers. Since 2012, nearly 300,000 seedlings, including almonds, figs, pomegranates, olives and carob, have been grown and supplied to 1,500 farmers.
Source: The Gentle Art of Blessing – gentleartofblessing.org
